Claws Season 3 Episode 1 Review: Just the Tip
Dale McGarrigle
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This season's tagline is "Welcome to the Queendom," and that seems apropos.
After two seasons of being a discontented and betrayed underling, Desna was ready to take charge on Claws Season 3 Episode 1.
Desna has long accepted that she will ofttimes have to do the wrong thing to produce the right results: a better life for herself, her brother Dean and her girls.
There have been a couple of long-running problems with this strategy, however.
One is that she's made a series of what Dean described as "bad decisions."
An example would be pinning Roller's "murder" on her odious former foster parents, which led to Bryce murdering them, temporarily shattering her longtime friendship with Jenn.
The other is that she's been used as an unwitting pawn in others' schemes (Uncle Daddy, Zlata, Gregory).
So the question is whether she has learned from her mistakes or if she is instead leading her loved ones down another dangerous path.
That promises to be the driving storyline of Claws Season 3.
Related: Claws' Jenn Lyon Q & A
She certainly didn't lack for confidence, taking charge at the hospital of her family, crew and even Roller.
Roller has definitely become Desna's lieutenant, which is hilarious, considering their checkered history.
He remained estranged from Uncle Daddy, choosing to believe Clint's allegation that Uncle Daddy was responsible for Roller's parents' murders.
There's obviously more to those deaths than Clay has told his nephews, but I don't think he's responsible. It's more likely he's protecting their memories of their parents instead.
He even sacrificed his latest surrogate son, Clint. He did that largely to protect his love Toby, but still ...
After being misused by women especially during Claws Season 2, Roller isn't the hounddog he used to be. He's ready to be a one-woman man, with Desna.
But she wasn't sold, even after their sex in the car. Maybe Roller has changed, but she doesn't need the distraction. She has enough on her plate.
Fortunately, he seemed content to follow her lead, at least for now.
He and Desna did make a good team when tracking down the shooter and investigating Mac and Melba.
In her capacity as a casino owner, Desna does need muscle, more than Quiet Ann can provide.
How far they' ve come. On Claws Season 1, Desna and Virginia thought they had killed Roller and gave him a Viking funeral, setting him adrift in a flaming boat.
Now Roller and Desna were working smoothly together, dumping Clint's body for the gators from a different boat.
Let's see how long that arrangement holds up. Roller doesn't like being taken for granted.
Related: Claws Season 3 Trailer
My favorite "new" character is post-shooting Virginia.
So a corneal transplant from an elderly Reiki healer has given Virginia philosophical wisdom.
Good. No more weak-ass stories about kidnappers torturing her with peanut butter and a barnyard See and Say.
Even at her most self-absorbed and flightiest, Virginia has been good for Dean. It will be fun to see what effect enlightened Virginia will have on him.
There's still enough of sassy, millennial Virginia in there that she won't become dull.
You have to question whether Polly should be out on psycho probation right now because she's still living in her own fantasy world.
Related: Claws Season 2 Finale Review: Breezy
She continued to embellish her family background (she's Patty LaBelle's third cousin?), but her friends just know enough to shake their heads.
Her short-sheeted escape attempt was a hoot, especially after she found out she was there voluntarily and could leave anytime.
Why has she decided to kick Dr. Ken to the curb? Granted, he's no prize, but she has her flaws as well, the inability to tell the truth chief among them.
I sense there's a new beau in her future, but it's too early to tell if that's good or bad.
With the clinic closed, what's in Dr. Ken's future?
Based on his session with Dean, it won't be him becoming a therapist. Desna was right in that he must have learned some of what he used through osmosis from his meddling mother.
Was anybody surprised that Jenn and Bryce didn't fit in suburbia, where Ben Carson and Condi Rice were the token blacks and men got excited over mowers? They were too urban, indeed.
It was good they recognized their mistake early in their stay and went back to their old (Desna's) mansion in Palmetto. Maybe Bryce can get his abundance coaching career back on track.
What to make of Ann and Arlene? The boxing match was a perfect allegory of how they have been hurt by one another, and why they should walk away.
Suleka Mathew (Arlene) is a regular cast member now so that's not happening. So what new variation can we expect? Adopting a child, maybe?
Finally, what are Uncle Daddy (and Toby) going to do now? And how did he hang on to the Messianic Jewish center? Why wasn't that seized by the feds like everything else?
How about an inventory of what was and wasn't seized? Dr. Ken still seemed to think the clinic is reopening, and Desna didn't dissuade him, but I can't see how that would happen.
Hey, now that Desna partially owns the Bayside Retreat Hotel and Casino, why not move her crew in there? That could be fun.
To pick up the threads of last season, watch Claws online.
Which couples should and shouldn't stay together?
What criminal organization is laundering money at the casino?
Is Desna in over her head, again?
Comment below.
Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
